Apparatus for handling cartons



Oct. 2, 1962 R. K. GALLowAY APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CARTONS Filed Dec. l0, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet l In o L0 INVENToR N noasn'r n. sALLow/w ATTORNEY Oct. Z, 1962 R. K. GALLowAY APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CARTONS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ROBERT K.GALLOWAY Amm Nm vm\0m\ Nm @v Filed Deo.

vw @ww M/WW' ATTORNEY Oct. 2, 1962 R. K. GALLowAY APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CARTONS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. l0, 1958 Imm INVENTOR ROBERT K.GALLOWAY ATTO'RNEY N aired titres 3,956,433 Patented Oct. 2, 1962 "Ihre 3,056,433 APPARATUS FR HANDLWG CARTNS Robert K. Galloway, Hoopeston, Ill., assigner to FMC Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Fiied Dec. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 779,480 7 Ciaims. (Cl. 198-34) The present invention appertains to article handling apparatus, and more particularly relates to apparatus for spacing a continuous series of open cartons a predetermined distance from each other and for advancing the cartons in timed relation with other mechanism of a carton handling machine.

In order to mechanically close cartons of the type having interlocking end closure flaps, it is necessary that the cartons be equally spaced from each other on a feed conveyor and fed to the closing machine at predetermined intervals. Quite frequently, articles such as pies which are packed into the cartons before the cartons are spaced, are squeezed or otherwise damaged by spacing and timing devices of the type presently being used which act directly on the bodies of the cartons. Further, such devices are usually quite complicated and expensive to manufacture.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide an improved carton spacing and timing apparatus for a carton handling mechanism.

Another object is to provide an improved carton spacing and timing apparatus which is capable of handling lled cartons without damaging the surfaces of the cartons.

Another object is to provide an improved carton spacing and timing apparatus which resists movement of improperly spaced cartons by engaging only the end aps of the cartons.

Another object is to provide an improved carton spacing and timing apparatus which is simple in design and in operation and is inexpensive to manufacture.

rIhese and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective of a portion of a carton closing machine showing the carton spacing apparatus of the present invention associated therewith and showing a carton in phantom lines.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan of the carton spacing apparatus of FIG. l, certain parts being broken away and other parts being shown in section.

FIG. 3 is a section taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective taken in the general direction of the arrows 4 4 of FIG. 2.

The carton spacing apparatus (FIG. 1) of the present invention is adapted to receive opened, filled cartons at its left end (FIG. l), align and space the cartons, and deliver them to a carton closing machine 8. The carton closing machine 8 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) may be of any well known type and, since the carton closing machine does not constitute a part of the present invention, only those parts of the machine which are associated with the spacing apparatus 10 will be described herein.

The carton spacing apparatus 16 comprises, in general, a feed conveyor 12, a carton spacing conveyor 14 having carton advancing lugs 16 thereon, and a motion resisting apparatus 17 which includes spring loaded shoes 18. One shoe 18 is positioned adjacent one side of the conveyor 14 and the other shoe (not shown) is positioned adjacent the other side of the conveyor 14. A series of unspaced cartons C (FIG. l) having open, lower end iiaps F and upper flaps F are advanced by the feed conveyor 12 onto the spacing conveyor 14. The spring loaded shoes 18 bear against the lower flaps F of the foremost carton to prevent further motion of the cartons on the feed conveyor 12 until the lugs 16 of the carton spacing conveyor 14 contact the trailing edge of the foremost carton C and slidably advance the same past the shoes 18 and onto a conveyor 20 of the closing machine 8. All of the trailing cartons C are then moved forward, and the movement of the next carton is arrested by the shoes 18 in a like manner until the next following pair of lugs 16 moves the carton past the shoes 18. This operation is repeated for each carton in turn, thereby moving the cartons at equally spaced intervals onto the conveyor 20.

The carton spacing apparatus lil also includes a pair of spaced carton guides 24 and 26 which have vertical sides 26a that are parallel to and disposed on opposite sides of the conveyors 12 and 14 and serve to slidably engage the lower end aps F of the cartons to align the cartons laterally of the conveyor and maintain the alignment as the cartons are advanced by the conveyors 12 and 14. The guides 24 and 26 have upper flat ledges 26h that are slotted at 27 laterally of the conveyors 12 and 14 and are arranged to receive cap screws 28, which extend through the slots, to secure the guides to the frame 30 of the closing machine 8 in such a way that the guides 24 and 26 can be adjusted laterally to receive and align cartons of different sizes.

The feed conveyor 12 comprises a pair of spaced channel members 32 and 34 (FIGS. l and 2) which are bolted at their forward ends to a bearing bracket 36 of the frame 30 and have their rearward end portions secured in spaced relation by a laterally extending spacer 38. The spacer 38 is provided with a splined aperture which is arranged to slidably receive a splined rod 40 that is disposed parallel to the channel members 32 and 34. A laterally extending bearing block 42 is rigidly secured on one end of the splined rod dll. A transverse shaft 44 is journalled in the bearing block 42 and has sprockets 46 and 48 keyed on opposite ends thereof. A helical compression spring 50, which is disposed between a collar 52 locked on the splined rod 4G and a collar 54 abutting the spacer 38, serves as a chain tensioning device for chains 56 and 58 of the feed conveyor 12. The chains 56 and 58 are trained around the sprockets 46 and 48, respectively, and around sprockets 60 and 62 (FIG. 2), respectively, which are keyed to a laterally extending shaft 64 that is journalled in the bearing bracket 36.

A pair of sprockets 76 and 72 of the carton spacing conveyor 14 is also keyed on the shaft 64. The sprockets 7@ and 72 are positioned between and are slightly smaller in diameter 'than the sprockets 6@ and 62 to provide a better transfer of articles from the feed conveyor 12 onto chains 74 and 76 of the spacing conveyor 14. Because the sprockets and 72 are smaller than the sprockets 6() and 62, articles transferred from the feed conveyor `12 to the spacing conveyor 14 have moved a considerable distance over the rearward end of the conveyor 14 before being contacted by the conveyor 14. The chains 74 and 76 are trained around the sprockets 7@ and 72, respectively,

and around drive sprockets 77 and 7S, respectively, which are keyed on a sleeve 79 which is, in turn, locked on a laterally extending drive shaft Sil. The drive shaft Si) is journalled in bearings 8,1 and S2 which are bolted to the frame 39 of the closing machine 8. A sprocket 83 is secured to the sleeve 79 and is connected by a drive mechanism `Si?, (FIG. 3) (only a portion being shown) to a motor (FIG. 2) for driving both the feed conveyor 12 and the carton spacing conveyor 1d. Sprockets 86 and 87 are keyed on the sleeve 79 and have chains 88 and S9 (FIG. l) of the closing machine conveyor 2i) trained therearound and arranged to receive the spaced cartons from the spacing conveyor 14.

As clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the drive lugs 16 are mounted opposite each other on the chains 74 and 76 and are spaced at even intervals therealong. A chain guide plate 92 is bolted to the frame 30 of the machine 3 8 and raises the upper surface of the chains 74 and 76 to an elevation equal to that of the upper surface of the chains 56 and 58. Carton supporting angle members 94 and 96 are bolted to the frame 30 at points spaced laterally outwardly of the chains 74 and 76 with their upper edges at substantially the same elevation as the article carrying surface of the chains 74 and '76. The angle members 94 and 96 serve to prevent the weight of the product in the carton from bending the carton by supporting the same at points near the ends of the carton.

The motion resisting apparatus 17 (FIG. l) comprises a right hand and a left hand arresting unit 116 and 116er, respectively, each of which includes one of the shoes 18. The units 116 and 116a are the same except for the differences due to being right hand and left hand arrangements, and are arranged to operate on the opposite lower end flaps of the cartons. Since the units 116 and 11651 are substantially the same, the description of the unit 116 will suice for both and the parts in the unit 116a will be assigned corresponding numerals followed by the sufx aL The unit 116 (FIGS. l and 4) comprises a shoe backing plate 118 having a downwardly curved end portion 120 which guides one of the lower end aps F of the carton C thereover and into a channel shaped flap guide 122. T he shoe backing plate 118 is secured to the carton guide 24, and the flap guide 122 is secured to the frame 30 of the closing machine 8.

The flap engaging shoe 18 (FIG. 4) is welded to a bracket 124 and projects downwardly in position to engage the backing plate 118. The bracket 124 is pivotally mounted on a support plate 126 which is bolted to the carton guide 24. A bracket 128 is bolted to the support plate 126. A spring-supporting pin 130 is pivotally connected at one end to the bracket 124 and has a threaded portion at the other end which projects through an opening 132 in the bracket 128. A compression spring 133 disposed around the pin 1138 resiliently urges the shoe 18 downwardly to bear against either the backing plate 118 or the lower ap F of a carton supported by the plate 118. A nut 134 on the threaded end of the pin 138 prevents accidental disengagement of the pin 130 from the bracket 128.

The resilient engagement of the shoes 18 of the units 116 and 116e` against the lower flaps F of a carton C in Contact therewith is sufficient to stop movement of the contacted carton C and other trailing cartons, which are being -advanced on the feed conveyor 12 (FIG. l) by frictional engagement 'between the continuously moving chains 56, 58, 74 and 76 and the lower surface of the cartons. However, when the lugs 16 on the chains 74 and 76 engage the foremost carton C, the lower carton flaps are positively driven through the space between the shoes and their associated backing plates at the proper time and in the desired spaced relation with the preceding cartons in the carton closing machine 8.

In the event that a carton should be transferred from the feed conveyor 12 to a position on top of a pair of the lugs 16 of the spacing conveyor 14, rather than directly on the chains 74 and 76 thereof, upper carton deectors 140 and 14011 are included in the units 116 and 116a, respectively, to correct this condition. The carton deflector 140 has a horizontal lower edge 144 which is positioned immediately above, but not in contact with the upper surface of a carton being carried on the lugs 16. A downwardly projecting abutment 146 of the upper carton deflector 140 is positioned adjacent the forward end of the deflector 140y and projects into the path of movement of the upper forward edge of the carton body of each carton carried on top of the lugs 16. The abutment 146 of deflector 140 and the abutment (not shown) of the deflector 140er, are contacted by the upper forward edge of the carton body of each carton carried to them on the lugs 16 and, as a result, the carton is held stationary until the supporting lugs 16 have moved out from underneath the carton. The weight of the filled carton then causes it to fall on the chains 74 and 76 in front of the next pair of lugs. The carton will then be held from further lforward movement by the frictional engagement of the shoes 18 which remain in engagement with the rearmost section of the flaps F until the next following pair of lugs 16 contact the carton and move the same past the shoes 18 to the conveyor 20 in the previously described manner.

The carton deflector is adjustably supported for both vertical and lateral horizontal movement relative to the carton guide 24 by the following apparatus. A pair of spaced, vertically extending pins 148 (FIGS. l and 2) are bolted to the carton guide 24 and serve to guide a mounting block 150 for vertical adjustment. A vertically extending adjustment screw 152 having a knurled upper end is screwed through a threaded hole in the block 158 and abuts the carton guide 24. Turning the screw 152 in one direction raises the block 150 while turning the screw 152 in the opposite direction lowers the block 150. A pair of laterally extending arms 158 and 160 are bolted to a horizontal portion of the carton deflector 140. Bolts 162 extend through slots in the arms 158 and 168 and are screwed into the block 150 to secure the arms to the block. It can be seen that the slots in the arms 158 and 160 provide means for adjusting the carton deector 140 laterally, while the adjustment screw 152 provides means for adjusting the deflector 140 Vertically.

In the event that a carton should become raised out of its normal position on the conveyor chains 88 and 89 after it has moved past the motion resisting apparatus 17, the operation of the closing machine 8 is stopped by a detecting unit 168 (FIG. 1). The detecting unit 168 includes `an arm 170 which is positioned above the center of the path of movement of the carton C and is arranged to be contacted by all cartons which are raised out of normal position. The arm 170 has a hub 171 secured to a laterally extending shaft 172 which is journalled in a bracket 174 mounted on a vertically extending member 176 of the frame 30. A switch actuating arm 188 (FIG. 2) is keyed to the shaft 172 and is positioned to contact the actuating element 182 of a switch 184 which is supported in fixed position by the frame member 176. The switch 184 is electrically connected to the motor 85 which drives the conveyors 12, 14 and 20 and is opened when the arm 170 is pivotally raised by an improperly positioned carton. When cartons C are supported in the desired manner on the chains 88 and 89 of the conveyor 20, they pass under the arm 170 without actuating the same a suiicient amount to open the nswitch 184. However, cartons which are tilted out of position will contact the arm 170 and rotate the shaft 172 causing the switch actuating arm 180 to open the switch 184, thereby stopping the motor 85. After the tilted carton has been repositioned on, or removed from, the conveyor 20, the arm 170 drops and the switch 184 closes the circuit to the motor 85 thereby permitting the normal operation of the closing machine 8 to resume.

In the operation of the carton spacing apparatus 10 of the present invention, the feed conveyor 12, the carton spacing conveyor 14, and the conveyor 20 of the closing machine l8 are continuously driven in the direction of the arrow A (FIG. l). Cartons which are filled but not yet closed are placed on the feed conveyor 12 without regard to any particular spacing between cartons. The foremost carton is advanced by the feed conveyor 12, and also by the urging of the following cartons, onto the inlet end of the spacing conveyor 14. The motion of the foremost and following cartons is stopped by the shoes 18 which resiliently bear against their associated backing plates 118 to prevent the lower end flaps F of the foremost carton C from passing. During the time when the shoes 18 prevent movement of the cartons, the chains 56 and 58 of the feed conveyor 12 and the chains 74 and 76 of the spacing conveyor 14 slide under the stationary cartons supported thereon.

When a pair of the drive lugs 16 of the spacing conveyor 14 approach the foremost carton, they first contact the forward portion of the next following carton, as illustrated in FIG. 3, if the same is in contact with the foremost carton, and slightly raise the forward edge of the same as the lugs 16 slide thereunder and move into driving engagement against the trailing edge of the bottom wall of the foremost carton. The foremost carton is then driven by the positive engagement of the lugs 16 with sufficient force to slidably move the lower end flaps through the space between the resiliently loaded shoes 18 and their associated backing plates 118. All the other cartons are then moved forward a distance equal to one carton width and the above described operation is repeated for each carton in turn. Since the pairs of drive lugs 16 are mounted at equally spaced intervals on the chains 74 and 76, and since the cartons must be driven by the lugs 16 before they can be advanced past the shoes 18, the cartons are disposed at equally spaced intervals when they have moved past the shoes 18 and are advanced in timed relation with the conveyor Ztl of the closing machine 8.

If a trailing end portion of the carton is carried on top of a pair of the lugs 16, rather than on the chains 74 and 76 of the carton spacing conveyor 14, the action of the resiliently loaded shoes acting upon the leading edge portion of the lower end flapsg causes the lugs to slide under the carton to a point adjacent the forward edge of the carton before the resistance of the carton against the lugs 16 will be sufficient to cause the carton to yovercome the arresting force exerted by the shoes and thereby move with the lugs 16. More specifically, if the lugs 16 are rst moved under the rear edge of the carton, it will be recognized that there is no resistance to the raising of the rear edge other than the weight of the carton and the article therein. "ihis weight is not enough to cause the carton to move with the lugs 16. However, as the lugs approach the forward end of the carton, the shoes 13, which are in frictional engagement with the forward edges of the lower end iiaps F of the carton, -frictionally resist, but do not prevent, the raising of the forward edge of the carton. This frictional resistance is suicient to cause the lugs 16 to engage the carton and drive the same forwardly. As the tops of the yforwardly-positioned lugs continue to advance the carton, the resiliently-loaded shoes 1S begin to bear upon the trailing half of the lower end flaps F. Consequently, the normal pressure and frictional force exerted between the carton and the top of said lugs is reduced so that the shoes are able to progressively retard and then completely arrest the carton. This action allows the lugs to pass beyond, and clear of, the carton. As a result, the carton drops into its normal horizontal position upon the chains and then awaits engagement with the next pair of driving lugs as already described. in the event the lugs do not pass clear of the carton but continue to carry it forward, said lugs have already raised the edge of the cartons forward wall. Consequently, the raised upper edge of the forward wall of the carton body is then moved against the abutments 146 and dda of the carton deiiectors 140 and 140a as a positive safety check, thereby stopping the forward movement `of the carton and permitting the lugs 16 to be moved from under the carton. The carton then drops on the chains 74 and 76 and is held `from movement with the chains 74 and 76 by the shoes 18, which remain in frictional engagement with the trailing portion of the lower end flaps of the carton, until the following pair of lugs are moved into position to contact the carton and to advance it past the shoes 18 to the conveyor 20 in the desired timed and spaced relationship.

It will be recognized that, when one carton is being held in a tilted position by one pair of lugs, the following pair of lugs 16 will not contact the trailing surface of the next following carton, since the tilted carton stops the next carton before the trailing end of that carton is in the path of the lugs. Accordingly, the lugs 16 will move upwardly under the lower surface of said next following carton and will then slide along the lower surface until they engage the trailing edge of the carton which had been tilted, thereby advancing this carton past the shoe as explained above. This arrangement eliminates the possibility of more than one carton at a time being pushed onto the conveyor 20 by a pair of lugs 16.

It is to be understood that the cartons normally are transferred from the feed conveyor 12 directly onto the chains 74 and 76 of the spacing conveyor 14 and are only rarely deposited on the lugs 16. The carton deiiectors 149 and 14de therefore serve as corrective or protective devices and are used only in the rare cases when a pair of the lugs 16 becomes positioned under one of the cartons C.

The detecting unit 16S serves as a final protective device, and stops the operation of the entire carton closing machine 8 in the event a carton is raised out of the normal `desired position when it moves under the arm 170.

From the'foregoing description it is apparent that the improved carton spacing and timing apparatus of the present invention normally operates on the bottom and the bottom end flaps of the cartons when performing its spacing function. Since these parts of the carton lie in a common plane, there is no tendency to bend the carton and hence crush the article contained therein. The apparatus is simple in design and inexpensive to manufacture.

While one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the present invention and the manner in which the same is to be used, what is claimed as new and desired to protect by Letters. Patent is:

1. An apparatus -for spacing cartons which have outwardly extending end aps comprising, .a feed conveyor arranged to advance the cartons, a carton spacing conveyor arranged to receive cartons from said 4feed conveyor with the end flaps of the cartons projecting outward from said spacing conveyor in a direction laterally thereof, said spacing conveyor having drive ings secured to and spaced at even intervals therealong, means connected to said conveyors for driving the same, yieldable arresting means disposed adjacent said spacing conveyor in the path of movement of the carton end flaps and varranged to engage the end iiaps and arrest the movement of said carton until the carton is contacted and driven past said arresting means by one of said drive lugs, and abutment means disposed adjacent said arresting means and over said cartons and arranged to be contacted by a carton which has been received upon and elevated out of normal position by one of said lugs, said abutment means being arranged to contact said -elevated carton and arrest the movement thereof until the supporting lug is moved out of supporting contact therewith and the next Afollowing lug is moved against the carton to advance the same away from said arresting means.

2. An apparatus for spacing cartons which have a bottom wall and end iiaps disposed in a common plane comprising a feed conveyor arranged to advance a series of cartons, a carton spacing conveyor arranged to receive cartons from said feed conveyor with the end iiaps of the cartons projecting outward from said spacing conveyor in a direction transversely thereof, said spacing conveyor having a plurality of drive lugs spaced at even intervals therealong, means connected to said conveyors for driving both conveyors in the same direction, yieldable arresting means disposed adjacent each longitudinal side of said conveyor in the path of movement of the bottom end flaps to allow only one carton at a time to be moved onto said spacing conveyor, said arresting means being arranged to engage the flaps of the foremost carton to temporarily arrest the movement of said carton until said foremost carton is contacted by one of said drive ings and moved past said arresting means, and abutment means disposed above said cartons and arranged to Contact each carton which becomes disposed in an elevated position on top of one of said drive lugs and to prevent further movement of said elevated carton until the carton supporting drive lug therebelow has been advanced from under the carton and the carton is contacted by the following lug and moved thereby out of engagement with said abutment means.

3. A carton spacing apparatus comprising a pair of longitudinally extending parallel endless chains having an inlet end and a discharge end, 'longitudinally spaced drive lugs secured in side by side relation on said chains, means connected to said chains for driving the same in a predetermined direction, means for directing cartons having end flaps extending laterally outward relative to the direction of movement of said articles onto the inlet end of said chains, guide means disposed outwardly of and par allel to said chains and arranged to receive the cartons thereon for partially supporting the same, a backing plate disposed adjacent the side of each chain adjacent the inlet ends thereof and disposed in position to guide end aps of the cartons therealong, a shoe associated with each backing plate and arranged for pivotal movement toward and way from its associated backing plate, resilient means connected to each of said shoes and arranged to resiliently urge said shoes against said backing plates, said shoes being positioned to permit only one carton at a time to enter said chains, and abutment means disposed above said chains in position to contact only those cartous which are disposed upon lugs of said drive chains to temporarily stop the movement of those cartons thereby causing said lugs to move out of contact with the lug supported carton and allowing the next following pair of lugs to contact and move it to the discharge end of said chains.

4. In an apparatus for handling cartons having a body portion and iiaps projecting outwardly from the body portion, a conveyor driven in a predetermined direction and having a carton support surface, drive lugs carried at spaced intervals on said conveyor and projecting above said surface and arranged to engage the cartons to move the same over said surface with two lower flaps extending laterally, carton deilector Ameans located above and on both sides of said conveyor and having a notch for the arrest of the forward movement of a carton sitting on top of said drive lugs, and resilient shoe means arranged for Si yieldably engaging and restraining lower aps of said cartons.

5. In an apparatus for spacing cartons, a conveyor having a carton calrying surface driven in a predetermined direction, spaced lugs on said conveyor for positively propelling cartons with the carrying surface, resilient shoe means for frictionally engaging a projecting end flap on a carton, and overhead abutment means for positively arresting a carton advanced on top of one of the lugs.

6. In an apparatus for spacing cartons, a conveyor having a carton carrying surface, means for driving said conveyor, spaced means on said conveyor for propelling cartons with the carrying surface, resilient means frictionally engaging a projecting end flap on a carton for controlling forward movement of the carton carried on top of one of said propelling means, and overhead abutment means for positively arresting a carton advanced in raised position on top of one of the propelling means while said carton is still engaged by said resilient means.

7. ln an apparatus for spacing cartons, a movable conveyor means having a carton carrying surface, means for driving the conveyor, spaced abutments movable with said conveyor and projecting above said surface thereof for positively propelling cartons on the conveyor, resilient means yieldably engaging each carton to resist forward movement thereof with the conveyor, and xed abutment means spaced above said conveyor surface a distance greater than the height of one of said cartons and less than the combined height of one of said cartons and one of said movable abutments to positively arrest movement of a carton held off said conveyor surface by one of said movable abutments only until said one abutment moves out from under the carton and then to release the same, said xed abutment means being spaced beyond said resilient means in the direction of movement of the conveyor a distance less than the dimension of one of the cartons measured parallel to the direction of conveyor movement so that the resilient means prevents resumption of movement of a carton released from said fixed abutment until the next following movable abutment engages the carton.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 808,067 Briggs Dec. 26, 1905 1,368,583 Thompson Feb. 15, 1921 1,582,820 Hungerford Apr. 27, 1926 1,977,732 Manier Oct. 23, 1934 2,323,351 Pechy July 6, 1943 2,587,496 Manteria Feb. 26, 1952 2,856,059 Neuberger Oct. 14, 1958 2,890,560 Nigrelli June 16, 1959 

